Drought reveals old cemetery in Bosnia reservoir

The 70-year-old Sunken cemetery is seen after the Jablanicko lake dried up near Jablanica. The dams on the Neretva river near the lake feed a system that normally produces an average of 2,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, but the drought that began in August has shrunk output to just a quarter of that amount. The drought has also forced cash-strapped nations to import more power at higher prices. Bosnia, normally the one net power exporter in the region, paid 20 million Bosnian marka (14.4 million) to import electricity in January, compared with January 2011 when it earned 70 million marka from power exports.

"I cannot recall when the lake has ever been so low," says Memidzan as his hand points to what is left of the reservoir, one of five that supply power to southern Bosnia.

"There are no fish left here," he adds, standing on his boat house, stranded in the mud.

Hydro power accounts for most of Albania's electricity output and about half of Bosnia's, followed by Croatia and Slovenia at 40 percent, Serbia at 30 percent and Montenegro at 17 percent. Kosovo mainly relies on coal.